BREAKING boundaries: Beacon Bar

RER 7.16.13

The Beacon Bar is chic and polished, but almost cold when quiet, however the light food and specialty drinks give the new uptown bar warmth and comfort. Since April, the latest piece of the Beacon empire has settled in, nestled between the legendary Beacon Theatre and Hotel Beacon. The bar lounge proves that it is more than just a hotel bar and it can be a neighborhood hangout. It stands apart with its curated drink menu and a list of light bites and appetizers that evoke home, carving out a reputation for regulars, hotel guests and theatre-goers alike.

 

RER 7.16.13

The menu rallies elevated comfort food with twists on the recognizable while familiarizing the obscure. With choices like a chilled vegetable platter or a Mexican shrimp cocktail, along with other light bites like a portabella burger or pulled pork sliders or the more imaginative French dip sliders and toast with warm goat cheese, there is a dish for every discerning taste. Even the staple cheesecake is offered for pairing with exquisite handcrafted drinks. Each item appears straightforward on the menu, but comes with a surprise of complexity and visual appeal.

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The jumbo lump crabcake light bite is a multifaceted play of decadence and brightness. Each small cake is rich with lumps of crabmeat large enough to be tangible and savored, wanting the breaded filler present in many lesser crabcakes. A pale wasabi mayo accompanies the cakes, adding heat and heaviness. The fennel salad bathed in citrus makes the cakes shine, brightening the dense cakes. The details of the fresh lemon and orange zest to the finely shaved fennel and spicy red onions down to the flourish of chives, echo the careful creation of the drinks and aesthetics.

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Though the macaroni gratin mirrors the classic, it is the refined relative of the mac and cheese of childhood, grown up with the sophistication of gruyere and parmesan. The crumb top of the baked curved pasta casserole adds another dimension of maturity. But somehow the disguised green peas and salty ham revive past memories. The sweetness of the peas breaks the heavy creaminess of the cheeses, hot and almost smooth, but the ham spikes the monotony with salt and texture. 

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Even the pulled pork sliders have transformed from messy summer barbeque to something more distinguished through flavorful accoutrements: a fancy bun, spicy slaw, and vegetable chips. The hot slaw, dotted with tomatoes carrots cabbage and jalapeños, ignites a balance with the cloying sweetness of the sauce mixed with the tender stringy pork. Served with a riot of color from starch and vegetable chips, which supply sweet earthiness and a crunch, the pulled pork sliders suggest outdoor gatherings, contradicting the mystique of Beacon Bar’s interior.

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Each dish brings forth bright colors sharply contrasting the cool hued theme written in the lux dark cobalt leather booths or the sharp lines of the tiled wall or even the infinity of circles on the fabrics. The icy blue and grey scale decor exudes contemporary sophistication and muted elegance, while the flourishes of ingredients and garnishes are enlivening and fresh. The plates demonstrate effortless balance and expertly layered flavor profiles, none too pretentious to break the mold of upscale bar food.

RER 7.16.13

See what my first time at the Beacon Bar was like here and here.

RER

7.16.13

RER 7.16.13